Bosnia: Reactions to indictments

Former Muslim member of Bosnia's wartime Presidency Ejup Ganic, wanted for war crimes by Serbian authorities, considers the warrant "ridiculous". The Serbian Prosecution for War Crimes’ decision to issue a warrant for perpetrators of alleged crimes against Yugoslav National Army (JNA) soldiers is “ridiculous” and names “all those who defended Bosnia-Herzegovina,” says Ganic. Bosnia: Reactions to indictments Speaking to Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz, he said that on May 2, 1992 then Bosnian Muslim President Alija Izetbegovic had been "kidnapped", and “all those who saved the president, who was a symbol of the state, are now being faulted because things didn’t go according to plan.” According to him, “whenever Serbian politicians are accused of thievery, their media launch countermeasures to reduce the pressure.” “Some Serbian politicians tried to engage the Hague on that matters, but all charges against me were thrown out,” said Ganic. Former Croat member of the Bosnian Presidency Stjepan Kljujic, who is also listed on the warrant, told Beta news agency he had not “received any kind of paper or read any supposed warrant issued by the Serbian justice system which named him” and added that he had no comment on the case. His fellow Croat Presidency member Zeljko Komsic said that the warrant was yet another proof of the Serbian approach to Bosnia-Herzegovina, "which only confirms its involvement in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, though it has no jurisdiction in this and similar cases". In a public statement, he added that he expected the Bosnian Council of Ministers to hold an emergency session to “discuss the measures BiH [Bosnia-Herzegovina] should take in this and similar cases against states that interfere in Bosnia's internal affairs.” Another present-day Presidency member, Haris Silajdzic, also today contested Serbia's jurisdiction in the case, to say that Belgrade has violated the Rome Agreement by raising the 19 indictments. The 1996 accord, he said, obligates Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia to have the Hague Tribunal give its opinion and approval on issuing such indictments first.

Bosnia: Reactions to indictments

Speaking to Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz, he said that on May 2, 1992 then Bosnian Muslim President Alija Izetbegović had been "kidnapped", and “all those who saved the president, who was a symbol of the state, are now being faulted because things didn’t go according to plan.”

According to him, “whenever Serbian politicians are accused of thievery, their media launch countermeasures to reduce the pressure.”

“Some Serbian politicians tried to engage the Hague on that matters, but all charges against me were thrown out,” said Ganić.

Former Croat member of the Bosnian Presidency Stjepan Kljujić, who is also listed on the warrant, told Beta news agency he had not “received any kind of paper or read any supposed warrant issued by the Serbian justice system which named him” and added that he had no comment on the case.

His fellow Croat Presidency member Željko Komšić said that the warrant was yet another proof of the Serbian approach to Bosnia-Herzegovina, "which only confirms its involvement in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, though it has no jurisdiction in this and similar cases".

In a public statement, he added that he expected the Bosnian Council of Ministers to hold an emergency session to “discuss the measures BiH [Bosnia-Herzegovina] should take in this and similar cases against states that interfere in Bosnia's internal affairs.”

Another present-day Presidency member, Haris Silajdžić, also today contested Serbia's jurisdiction in the case, to say that Belgrade has violated the Rome Agreement by raising the 19 indictments.

The 1996 accord, he said, obligates Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia to have the Hague Tribunal give its opinion and approval on issuing such indictments first.